Quartet delivers Valentine's greetings Barbershop chorus serenades women on holiday

By Brandon Oland, Staff Writer February 15, 2011, Carroll County Times

Four elderly men wearing dress shirts and bow ties handed a single red rose to their female audience.

Then they started to sing during their annual fundraiser.

Once again, Valentine's Day was showtime for the Elderly Brothers Barbershop Quartet, consisting of Chuck Forbes, Alan Katz, Barry Linthicum and Ray Carson. The crooners serenaded women everywhere from senior care facilities to the Freestyle Hair & Body Spa in Westminster. Proceeds benefit the Carroll County chapter of the Old Line Statesmen Barbershop Chorus.

Forbes and Linthicum are members of the Carroll County chapter of the Barbershop Harmony Society. Katz and Carson are part of the Patapsco Valley chapter.

Together, they traveled throughout the county. Linthicum said he is never sure what the reaction will be when they show up to surprise a customer with their music.

"Some cry," he said. "Some laugh. Some look like a deer in the headlights."

Once, Linthicum and his crew tried to sing at a private residence while a dog howled along.

In recent years, the owners of cell phone cameras have followed the quartet around, snapped photos and posted them to Facebook.

Katz said they never mind creating a ruckus.

"You get followed down the hall to a person's office," Katz said. "It's embarrassing, and we love it."

Once the quartet walked into Freestyle Hair & Body Spa Monday, they immediately drew a crowd.

Owner Joan Graen said she wanted to give her employees working on Valentine's Day a special treat. A few stylists continued cutting hair while customers covered in smocks watched the quartet sing three short songs.

"I just wanted to surprise them," Graen said, "and I think we did."

Reach staff writer Brandon Oland at 410-857-7862 or brandon.oland@carrollcountytimes.com.